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     <h2 align="center"><font face="Arial">Richmond Library Wins ExplorAsian Canadian Heritage Award</font></h2>
     <p><font face="Arial"><font size="2">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 		May 8, 2002<br>
     <br>
     RICHMOND - Richmond Public Library has once again been honored for its<br>
     outstanding service to the community. At the 2002 ExplorAsian Canadian<br>
     Heritage Awards ceremony on May 2nd, it was announced that the library won<br>
     the award in the category of Building Community. This award, sponsored by<br>
     VanCity, recognizes the Library for its significant contribution to<br>
     strengthening the community infrastructure for culture and the arts to<br>
     flourish.<br>
     <br>
     'Richmond Public Library and its dedicated staff have taken the initiative<br>
     in promoting cross-cultural understanding and harmony through their vision,<br>
     creativity and ongoing commitment to multiculturalism. Their celebration of<br>
     cultural diversity is demonstrated in the extensive array of programs and<br>
     services they offer to the community, especially in the areas of Asian arts<br>
     and culture,' said Library Board Vice-Chair and District Vice President, TD<br>
     Canada Trust, Pacific Region, Tung Chan.<br>
     <br>
     To celebrate Vancouver Asian Heritage Month, there is a festival with over<br>
     150 individual events during May, taking place across the Lower Mainland. On<br>
     May 25th starting at 11:00 a.m. come and join in a fun-filled day of<br>
     community celebration at the Richmond Public Library and Cultural Centre,<br>
     located at 7700 Minoru Gate.<br>
     <br>
     After the opening ceremony at 11:30 a.m. there will be a book launch for<br>
     Paul Yee's children's story The Jade Necklace. From 12-2 p.m. there will be<br>
     craft activities for all ages; storytime with an Asian theme from 2-2:30<br>
     p.m.; more crafts from 2:30-3:30; another storytime from 3:30-4 p.m.; and a<br>
     final craft activity from 4-4:30 p.m. in the Youth Services area. There will<br>
     be lots of other activities and performances throughout the day in the<br>
     Rotunda and Lecture Hall.<br>
     <br>
     'The library shows leadership and initiative in providing high quality<br>
     collections and services to the Chinese community. And its sustained<br>
     commitment to enriching the broader Asian community's cultural heritage has<br>
     received enormous community support,' added Chan.<br>
     <br>
     In the year 2001, the library held 163 programs that were attended by 5,800<br>
     people. The library's collection contains over 72,000 Chinese language<br>
     books, CD music, DVDs, magazines, newspapers and reference books, and staff<br>
     have developed a wide variety of programs for children and adults, such as<br>
     computer classes in Cantonese and Mandarin, New Immigrant Orientation<br>
     Programs, Employment Trends Seminars and much more. Richmond Public Library<br>
     has provided an opportunity for people of all cultures to learn, appreciate<br>
     and participate in the cultural heritage of the Asian community. The library<br>
     also has a substantial collection of Punjabi books, videos, DVDs and CD<br>
     music, and collections of books in Hindi, Urdu and Gujarati, as well as<br>
     other languages.<br>
     <br>
     'Winning this ExplorAsian Canadian Heritage Award demonstrates to the wider<br>
     community the sense of celebration and pride that the Library feels for the<br>
     multicultural community in Richmond,' added Chan.<br>
     &nbsp;<br>
     Contact:	Wendy Jang, Head of Multilingual Services 604-231-6419<br>
		Virginia Chan, Youth Services Librarian 604-278-9811 ext.<br>
     655<br>
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		</TABLE> <BR> <font face="Arial" size="-2"><b>Last Updated: May 12th,
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